Line control



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A. W. FUSE! LINE CONTROL Filed Nov. 2, 1926 IN VEN TOR. flu-pfo W/ QJ 'V BY Q A TTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 15, 1927.

UNITED STATES.

ALFRED W. POSEY, OF LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA.

LINE oonrnon.

' Application filed November 2, 1926. Serial No. 145,742.

invention relates to a line control adapted to be associated with the rig of an oil or other well whereby injury and wear to the cable or line used inconnection therewith may effeetivelybe obviated, said invention being more particularly a continuation in part of the device or apparatus disclosed in my co-pendingapplication for a line spooler, Ser. No. 732,889, filed August 9, m 1924. v

Certain devices or apparatuses known as home made line controls, have been in public use for years, in oil well practice for steadying the movement of the line or cable as it is" wound or unwound from the usual drum associated with the rig, but these de vices have proven unsatisfactory. Certain other devices have also been proposed, but these have also been proven' unsatisfactory for the 'reason that they soon wear out and throw steel, chippedfrom the moving parts thereof, into the eyes of the operators.

By the use of my invention all these deleterious features are effectively eliminated.

it accordingly is an object of myinvention to provide a novel form of line control having a resiliently mounted frame associated with the head board or other part of the rig, means being provided for adjusting the transverse movement of said frame, a novel form of carriage equipped with'a casting, grooved to facilitate the reciprocation of said carriage on said frame, being mounted thereon, an anti-friction means in the shape of a movable ball race being associated with said casting, which casting is also equipped with a cut-away portion to permit the ready insertion of the line in the carriage, and the withdrawal therefrom, when the apparatus is installed or dismantled, a pair of cutaway lids being also preferably detachably associated with the top and bottom of said carriage to hold the various parts together. A further object of my invention is to associate with said carriage a novel form of adjustable friction retarding means, held in position by the lids thereof, said means being adapted to coact with part of the frame work of the line control to retard the movement of said carriage as it is whipped back and forth as the line is wound or unwound upon the drum associated withthe rig.

These and other objects of my invention I attain by the apparatus constructed in accordance with that disclosed in this specification and on the drawings formin a part of this appllcation as hereinafter fully set forth. a I

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which similarreference characters denote similar parts. In the drawings, F10. 1 is a top plan viewof my apparatus associated with the usual drum used in oil or other well practice, V

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the apparatus, 1

Fig. 3 is a sectional viewon the line"33,

Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows,

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the spring associated. with my novel form of friction retarding means,

Fig. 5 is a similar view of the block associated with' the friction retarding means,.'

Fig. 6, is an enlarged cross-sectional View on the line 6-6, Fig. 2, also looking in the dlrection of the. arrows,

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the casting in which the ball race is positioned,

Fig. 8 is a similar view of the friction retarding construction, with block and spring omitted, and

Fig. 9'is a perspective view of the four part ball race, partly broken away to'disclose the internal construction.

Describing my invention more in detail, 2 indicates the head board, girth, or derrick base, or any other place associated with the well rig, in practice found desirable, and to said head board is secured by any means preferredtwo or more bolts 4, which bolts have associated therewith a channel iron 6, and. a preferably round rod 8, positioned in parallel relation with the channel iron 6, said rod 8 having end portions 10 of tubular form adapted to lie-associated in any desired manner with-a pair of tubes 12. If desired, the rod 8 may be made integral with the tubes 1201 may be secured thereto in any manner preferred.

The channel iron 6 is adj ustably mounted upon the bolts or other members 4 by means of a pair of jam nuts 14, one on each side of the channel iron 4, and screw threaded thereto, as more particularly shown in Fig.

3, the tubes 12 being slidable on the members 4.

Positioned directly in front of the tubes 12, and mounted on the bolts 4:, are washers 16, adapted to be pressed against the tubular end portions 10 by means of the helical s rings 18, surrounding the bolts 4 and abutting against the ad uStable nut and washer construction 20, thus flexibly mounting the members 6 and 8 with respect to the part 2, said construction comprising the frame or frame work of the. apparatus. It

will of course be understood that this ar-.

constructed as shown in Fig. 7, and is equipped with a groove 30 adapted to enga e with the rod 8, the preferably smooth en s 32 being adapted to engage with the fiatend of the channel iron 6.

The central portion of the casting 28 1s bored or otherwise formed with a iole 34 for the reception of the ballbearing des gnated generally b the numeral 36, whlch bearing is prefers. 1y formed of four parts 38, to facilitate the ready assembly and removal of said hearing. The casting is cut away, as at 46 for the reception of the line or cable 24, so that said line maybe slipped into or out of said bearing, a ball race 42 being cut into the parts of the bearing to house the balls 44. Said casting maybe cut away as at 48 for the purpose of lightening the construction.

To retard adjustably the movement of the slide or carriage 22, a friction construction 50, shown separated in Figs. 4, 5 and 8 is provided. Said construction comprises a grooved block 52, grooved at 64 adapted to engage slidably the rod 8, and against said block is positioned a tension spring 54, preferably of leaf form and adapted to be positioncd within the angular member 56, and resting on the projections or ledges 58 and abutting against the side members '62, equipped with cut-out portions 60 to bear against the rod 8, the grooved block 52 with its groove 64 being positioned between said side members, the groove 64 taking against said rod.

To adjust the tension of the spring 54 on the block 52, a set screw or other device 66, provided with lock nuts, is'provided on the carriage 22, as depicted in Figs. 1 and 2. It will of course understood that the specific form of friction retarding means used is immaterial, and that other constructions may be substituted therefor and still remain within the province of my invention.

But for the sake of cheapness of manufacture and simplicity in construction, I prefer to associate said friction retarding means with the carriage and form the same as part thereof,

' frame work, a pair To hold the carri e 22 in position on the 2% lids 68, equipped with slots 70, to permit the insertion and removal of the line 24, are provided, said lids being secured together by any preferred number of bolts or other securing device 72.

To insert the line 24 within the apparatus as it is installed, the top lid 68 is removed by removing the bolts 72, as well as the casting 28 and balls therein, said line being then slipped into place through the slot 70 in the lower lid 68, after which the removed parts-may be replaced and secured together by the' bolts 72. This proceeding'is also gone through when the line is removed.

In operation, the line 24 is positioned within the ball race and engages thev balls 44, and as said line moves upwardly and downwardly, the carriage 22 is reciprocated rapidly on the rod 8 and the channel iron 6, the balls 44 being lubricated continually by the oil on said line. Said carriage also moves transversely with reference to the head board 2, and is held in flexible relation therewith by reason of the springs 18, this construction efl'ectively preventing the cable or line 24 from piling up -on the drum 26. Theball bearing 38 may be readily replaced when worn by removing the bolts 72 and the lids 68. 7

While I have thus described my invention with great particularity, it will be clear that the same may be modified throughout a wide range. I accordingly do not propose to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, but reserve the right in practice to make any and all modifications thereof that fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A carriage for a line control comprising a casing, a split bearing housed in said casing, for receiving the line, a set'of antifriction balls mounted in said bearing, said balls being adapted to follow the spiral grooves in said line and means associated with said casing whereby the movement of the carriage may be retarded.

2. In a line control, in combinatioma head board, a pair of rigid members associated with said board, a channel iron mounted on said members and adapted for relative movement toward and away from said board, a hollow tube mounted on each of said comprising a plurality of separable parts to of the line, said balls being adapted to follow permit said bearing to be removed so the line may be withdrawn therefrom each of said parts being cut away to form a raceway for a set of anti-friction balls, anti-friction balls mounted in said raceway for individually engaging the spiral grooves of said line and means for holding said bearing in said casing.

4. In a carriage for a line control, a casting cut away to permit a line to be slipped therein, said casting being also recessed to receive a separable ball race to permit the withdrawal of the line, and grooved so that said carriage may be reciprocated. on a frame with an adjustable friction retarding means associated with said carriage and adapted to coact with said framework to retard the movement of said carriage, a set of balls in said raceway adapted individually to follow the grooves of said line, and a pair of lids detachably associated with said casting.

5. In a line control, in combination, a resiliently mounted frame, means associated with said frame for adjusting the resiliency thereof, and to steady the whipping action of said line, a carriage adapted to be reciprocated on said frame, said casing comprising a grooved casting to facilitate the movement thereof on said frame, a set of antifriction balls mounted in said casting adapted to follow the spiral grooves of said line, an adjustable friction retarding means juxtaposed to said casting and adapted to coact with said frame to retard the movement of said carriage, and a pair of lids detachably associated with said carriage to hold said anti-friction balls and said friction retarding means in position.

6. In combination with a drum and a line to be reeled thereon, a line' control comprising a frame resiliently mounted to rock axially of said drum, a carriage mounted on said frame to slide axially of said drum, friction retarding means associated with said carriage to resist the sliding of said carriage in eitherdirection, and ball guide means on said carriage for the passage therethrough the spiral grooves of said line to form a substantial bearing surface therefor.

.7. In combination with a drum and a line to be reeled thereon, a line control comprising a frame, a carriage mounted on said frame to slide axially of said drum, friction retarding means on said carriage to resist the sliding of said carriage, guide means on said carriage for the passage therethrough of the line, and a set of circumferentially arranged anti-friction elements associated with said carriage to follow the spiral grooves of said line to provide a substantial bearing surface therefor.

8. In combination with a drum and a line to be reeled thereon, a line control comprising a frame, a carriage mounted on said frame to slide axially of said drum, an

adjustable friction retarding device on said carriage engaging said frame to resist the sliding of said carriage in either direction, ball guide means on said carriage for the passage therethrough of the line, said balls being adapted to follow the spiral grooves of said line, and means associated with said carriage whereby said line may be laterally inserted therein by removing only a part of said carriage.

9. In a means for preventing a cable from piling up on a drum by the whipping action of said cable, a framework comprising an angular member, a rounded member parallel to said angular member and spaced therefrom, means associated with said framework whereby said framework may have a limited transverse movement, resilient means for opposing said movement, a carriage adapted to be shifted longitudinally on said members, said carriage being provided with means for receiving said linetherethrough, and a set of balls associated with said carriage and adapted to follow the spiral grooves of said line whereby a/ny lubricating means present on said line will lubricate said balls to prevent wear on said line.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ALFRED W. POSEY. 

